Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-10

drank. Alas for the man who has nt
early memories.
David thought of that well, that boy
hood well, and he wanted a drink o.
it, but he remembered that the Philis
tines had captured il. When those
three men tried to come up TO the vel
in behalf Of David. they saw sword:
cleaning around about it. And this
is true of this Gospel well. The Phil.
istines have at times captured it.
When we come 10 take n full, old-fash-
Toned drink of pardon and comfort, do
not their swords of indignation and
sarcasm flashP Why, the skeptics tell
us that we cannot come TO that foun-
tain! They say the water is not fit to
drink anyhow. IF you are really
thirsty now, there is the well Of philos.
ophy, there is the well of art, there is
the well Of science" They try to sub
sdtutc, instead of our boyhood faith, a
modern mixture. They say a great
many beautiful things about the soul,
and they try to feed our Immortal hum
ger on r~ose-leaves, and mix a Mint
iulep of worldly stinulants, when
nothing will satisfy us but "a drink of
the water Of the wei Of Bethlehem,
which is at the gate" They try to
starvG us on husks, when the Fathers
bouquet is ready, and the best ring is
taken from the casket, and the sweet
est harp is struck for The music, and
the swiftest foot is already lifted for
the dance. They patroni2e heaven and
abolish hell, and try to measure e%terni-
" with their hour-glass, and the throne
OF TIE great God with their yard-stick!
| abhor it. | tell you the old
Gospel WELL
is a captured well. ! pray God that
there may be somewhere in the elect
host three amounted, with courage
enough to go forth in the strength of
the omnipotent God, with the gllttering
swords Of truth, to hew the way back
again to that old well. | think the tide
is turning, and that the old Gospel is
to take its place again Ia the family,
and in the university, and in the legis-
lative hall. Men have tried worldly
PHILOSOPHERS, and have found out that
they do not give any comfort, and that
they drop an arctic midnight upon the
death-pillow. They fail when there is
a dead Child In the house; and when the
soul comes TO leap into the fathomless
ocean of eternity, they give to the
not SO much as a broken spar to
cling to. Depend upon it, that well
will come into our possession again,
though it has been captured. If there
be not three mounted men in the Lords
host with enough conservation TO do
the work, then the swords Will leap
from Jehovah's buckler, and the
three will descend-God the
God the Son, God the Holy
Ghost-conquering for our dying race
the way back again TO ''the water Of
the well of Bethlehem, which is by the
IF God be for us. who can be
usP" "If God spared not his
own Son, bit freely gave him up for US
all, how shall he not with him also
give us all thingsp" For | am per-
'uaded that neither height, nor depth,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things
o come shall take from us, into final
captivity, the Gospel of my blessed
Iord Jesus Christ.
TIE WELL WHOSE WATER MAKES CLEAN.
Again, the Gospel well, like the one |
spoken OF in my text, is a well at the
gate. The traveller stops the camel to-
and gets down and dips out of the
ALLEY OF the East, some very beautiful,
lear, bright water, and that is out of
he very well that David longed for.
10 you know that that well was at the
SO that nobody could 20 into
Bethlehem without going right past it3
And so it is with this Gospel well--it is
It the gate. 1t is. in the first place, at
he gate of publication. We cannot
away III sins unless with that
water. | take the responsibility of say
ug that there is no man, woman, or
'hild in this house to-day that has es-
,aped sinful delilement. Do you say
t is outrageous and ungallant for me
make such a charge? Do you say,
4 have never s~tolen--I have never
1lasphemed-I have never committed
lnchastity-I have never been guilty of
nurder?" reply, you have commit
ed a sin worse than blasphemy, worse
han ~unchastity, wJrse than theft,
worse than murder. We have all COM
nitted it. We have by our sin re-cru-
the Lord, and that is decide.
And if there be any who dare to plead
mot guilty to the indictment, then the
losts Of heaven will be empaneled as a
ury to render a unanimous verdict
us; guilty one, guilty all. With
what a slashing stroke that n pas
sage cuts us away from all u preten-
'ions: There is none that doeth good
no. not one" oh" says some one, |
'a!l We want, al the race wants, il de-
Now | want to tell you
hat the a C develops without the Cos
pei into a Sodom, a Five Points, a
Great Salt Lake City. 1t always de-
downward. and never upward,
rs the
GRACE OF GOD
avs hold of it. What, then, is to be-
of our soul without Christi Ban
shment. Disaster. But 1 bless my
Lord Jesus Christ that there is a well
It the gate of publication. For great